Creating A Mask
by PinkRangerV
Summary: Prequel to liron-aria's Facade. How did all the other Evil Rangers fall under Tommy's command? AU.
1. Tommy

A\N: _HOLY COW LIRON-ARIA LET ME PLAY WITH HER CHARACTERS!_

Ahem.

Last Halloween, liron-aria and I both did fics where Tommy went nuts. Mine was supposed to have multiple chapters and didn't. liron-aria's fic _Facade_, though, had an _amazing_ backstory, and let me write said backstory out. So now you get this.

The reason I'm explaining this is because, if you actually _read_ said fic, you need a warning. _I am not liron-aria_. I seriously have no idea what my brain did, and I promise I'm not this insane in real life, but after this first chapter this fic earns the 'horror' tag. If you can stick around through that, though, I hope you like!

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><p>"Hey."<p>

Tommy felt Jason catch his wrist and turned, his eyes glancing at the wrist instead of the other boy. "Yeah?"

"You can talk to me." Jason promised. "I know you're freaking out right now. But it's over, and I'm here now."

Tommy nodded.

"Anytime." Jason repeated, squeezing his wrist and smiling reassuringly. "I mean it."

"Thanks." Tommy whispered. Jason let go, and Tommy turned into his house, heading up the stairs.

When he got to his bedroom, he shut the door and started to laugh.

He wasn't sure where it came from. It was a long, slow, deep laugh; the laugh of someone so devoted to Darkness their entire being radiated it, and slowly but surely Tommy felt his energies changing.

He wondered if the Rangers had really thought they'd won.

Changing your Allegiance didn't happen overnight, and certainly not by destroying a mere sword. The spell was permanent. Adoption spells tended to be. But for the Son and Heir of Rita, well, faking a change wasn't that hard. Certainly not for the few hours it had taken to reassure the Rangers and Zordon, and especially not when his mother (how he smiled at that, at mother, at all the implications of home and belonging and power and triumph,) had planned fully for this event.

They were doomed.

Tommy shut his eyes, muttering the spell of teleportation. A flare of green light sent him to his mother's throne room, and he saw her at her balcony with the telescope. The others stared as he strode to her side and knelt. Let them stare, he thought dismissively. He was more powerful than they could have imagined.

He knelt at Rita's side for a long, silent moment.

"Welcome home, my son." She whispered in the language she had just begun to teach him, a language of magic and power, power she corrupted so beautifully.

"I am glad to be home," Tommy replied in a mangled sentence. Rita smiled and stood, walking away.

Tommy let her think, waiting, kneeling. It was nothing to wait for his mother and Empress. The monsters and henchmen disagreed, save for Scorpina. She was smarter than the rest, he realized. He'd have to keep an eye on her.

"So." Rita finally said. "They destroyed the Sword."

"Uh...sorry, my Empress." Tommy said sheepishly.

Rita rolled her eyes. "It's a sword, Tommy. I'll live. But more interestingly, we now know many things about these child-Rangers." Her eyes narrowed. "Such as how skilled they truly are."

No one responded. When Rita was planning, it was best not to.

"We cannot take Earth." She said decisively. "Not in the time frame Dark Spectre wants, at least. But we can do other things." She glanced at Tommy and smirked. "Tommy, my child. How would you like to be the King of Earth?"

Tommy raised his head, his eyes flashing with green flame. "I would like that very much, my Empress."

"Excellent." Rita all but purred. "Excellent."


	2. Kat

A\N: And continuing the Stupid Ways Tommy Blows His Own Cover theme...

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><p>Katherine Hillard had been...<p>

A doll.

A puppet.

Weak.

Kat shook her head, irritated with herself, but pleased as well. Rita's spell had changed that, changed everything, built her a soul, and she felt now, the emotions were so strong. So beautiful.

"Kit-Kat? You okay?"

Kat smiled at Tommy, purring a bit as she lay against his side. "Fine." She whispered. "Just thinking." Not hard. They lay together under the moonlight, on the roof of Tommy's truck. The world was beautiful, all mystic edges and powerful energies. Tommy had a harder time sensing it than she did, but Rita had more time with her.

And it made her...

Strong.

She reached up to nibble Tommy's ear. She wanted to do more, to pounce, to take him then and there, but it was too damn cold, and she could wait. She was his and he was hers. Rita had promised.

And he'd promised, too.

Tommy was so obliging, making beautiful sounds and kissing her, and the feelings, the emotions, they grew and she felt as if she could fly. When they broke apart, she snuggled happily against him, wanting to shriek out a joyful song at the delights the universe had brought.

The Rangers called her evil and Dark. Who said it was a bad thing?

"Tell me again." Tommy whispered, his hands gliding through her hair. "What happened to Kim."

Kat smirked. "I let Zedd drain her power." She stretched, curled up in Tommy's arms. "It must have been...excruciating." She pressed a quick kiss to Tommy's ear again. "And she remembers nothing."

Tommy smiled a bit dryly. "I, uh...appreciate that."

Kat snickered. "You're an idiot." She informed her new boyfriend, placing a kiss on his heart. "What were you thinking?" Her kisses went lower, teasing.

Tommy caught her chin, pulling her up. Damnit. She wanted to play. "Uh, it was girly?" He blushed a little, looking as sheepish as the persona he put on for the others. "She saw me using spellcraft in battle. I mean, not much, I'm not that dumb, but it was kind of a problem."

"So you...kissed her." Kat couldn't decide if she was annoyed with Tommy for kissing someone else, or annoyed with him for being an idiot. The second, she realized, though kissing Kimberly showed a lack of judgement that made her wonder if his brain was fully functional. (Now, kissing someone with half a brain cell...she saved that fantasy for later.)

"It's girly!" Tommy defended. "She thinks I'm this white knight and kissing her is-quit laughing!"

Kat rolled away from him, still laughing. That was wonderful. Just wonderful. She felt the laughter subside, stared at the moon. It was all so...perfect...

And that stupid Pink hadn't realized what she was missing. Had tried to tell Zordon about her Tommy.

Her Tommy...

Kat smirked, liking the sound of that, rolling over to kiss his stomach, lifting his shirt this time. He gasped, and Kat felt her own emotions leap up in response.

Whatever she'd been before this wasn't even worth mentioning. This was heaven.

"It doesn't matter." She promised Tommy, promised her Tommy. "She doesn't remember anything, and she's gone. But I'm here."

Tommy grinned and pulled her up to his level.

This kiss wasn't girly.


	3. Karone

A\N: To answer the question of 'Karone has magic, why doesn't she use it to counter the spell?', well, a) I didn't think about that, my bad, and b) she's not only completely terrified, she's a bit of an idiot, since Lightsiders in this universe don't tend to be the brightest. So it just didn't occur to her either.

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><p>Karone floated into reality.<p>

She was laying on her bed...Astronema's bed?...on her\their ship. The ship she'd kept when joining the Space Rangers. Yes, she...she could remember now, her memory kicked in and she realized what had happened.

It had all been part of a plan.

A lanky human male with brown hair and playing with the Dragon Dagger had appeared on her ship, a few days before Andros had revealed his secret. The man had called himself Tommy.

He'd told her everything. Who Andros was, that he was destined to rule Earth...and he'd shared something, a sweet light in his eyes saying that this was the first time he'd ever spoken it aloud.

_"I want more. I want to rule the galaxy."_

She'd laughed. The United Alliance of Evil controlled it, and they would have to be shattered before anyone could truly control it. There were too many factions, too much infighting. She saw the losses every day. Hells, part of her had wanted to jump ship right then and join her brother. There was nothing worth fighting for here.

_"I can change that."_

_"What do you want?"_

_"Give me Zordon. Give me his death, and I can give you anything."_ He'd sauntered up to her, but his eyes and face were deadly serious. _"Even the ideals you lost."_

Damn her. She'd said yes.

And she'd caused the Z-Wave. All of it had been according to one master plan, everything, but oh, it hurt now. She realized, suddenly, what she'd been. How many people she was hurting. And she'd decided to tell Andros, to beg his forgiveness, and to pray that her brother could understand.

She'd snuck onto the ship (not hers, not anymore, it was Astronema's), hoping to find the security footage of Tommy. It was a risk, given the next phase of their plan, but it was one she'd have to take.

She hadn't been right.

Karone shut her eyes, trying not to panic. Her hands were bound to the bed, the room dim and filled with incense. It was soothing, calm, but she knew what was waiting...and there, the two shapes appeared in the dim smoke. They didn't speak. Kat leaned down. Karone had spent long nights with her, talking and laughing over holodramas and Earth chocolate. Now she was having a hard time not throwing up.

Kat gently pressed a kiss to her cheek.

Karone broke down in tears, but Kat wiped them away, whispering, "Aklat nar'tra davni selan." Karone recognized the spell. It was the opening of a ceremony, an old one, older than all memory.

A spell of conversion. Their plan had been for a spell of conversion. And Karone had walked right into it.

She didn't beg, she knew it would be ignored, just as Tommy had somehow ignored it when she had given the codephrase saying she was still evil. (Or maybe she had just trembled a bit too much, frightened by the sheer Darkness radiating from the man.) But she couldn't stop the crying.

A male hand wiped away the tears with a thumb.

Karone looked up into Tommy's eyes. She had to clench her teeth to stop herself from begging. Tommy crouched next to her, speaking English instead of the spell-language. "Shh. It'll all be over soon."

She spit at him.

Tommy chuckled. "Do you know what this is?" He waved his hand, an odd symbol appearing in the smoke. "A yin-yang. This side, the white, it's Light. Strong, blunt...happy." He pressed a kiss to Karone's forehead. "Innocent." He added in a whisper.

Karone tried to jerk away, only to be stopped by the silken rope.

"And this..." He touched the dark side. "Darkness. Subtlety. Art. Intelligence." He leaned in, whispering in a hiss both exotic and terrifying, "Evil."

Karone tried to yank her hands free. If she broke her wrist, maybe she could do it, and she was so terrified the pain wouldn't even matter.

"But see this?" Tommy tapped the black spot in the white. "All Light has darkness in it, Karone. Even a little innocent angel like you." He let the yin-yang dissolve, cupping her cheek in his hand. "And all we have to do is bring it back."

Karone told him to do something that would have probably convinced Andros she was suffering from testosterone poisoning.

Tommy smiled, gently. Then he stood, backing away. Karone shut her eyes. So it didn't matter. She was lost now.

Kat's shape emerged in the smoke. It was lithe and dancing. Kat always danced. She was a slut, honestly, but Karone had always found it a bit amusing. Now it was strange, beautiful, and Karone almost couldn't help but watch as Kat's shape moved, changed and altered by the smoke.

She began to relax.

Tommy struck a drum. The sound made Karone flinch, but only slightly, and he struck it again, again, sounding a slow, steady beat. His voice, a dark, deep one, joined in song, a chant that Karone could only somewhat make out, a song of Earth and darkness and deep, unspoken places. Slow, quiet, it grew and grew.

The room grew cool, quiet, damp. The dry smoke was nothing; now it felt as if they were in the living wombs of a cave, a place of silence and eternal nothingness. Tommy's chant was singing it into life, a sound that was no sound.

Kat sang a note. The sound was pure and crystal, haunting, and it countered the darkness Tommy gave his homeworld. Instead it conjured wildness, a flaming, burning wasteland beneath a dark moon. Kat's dancing was suddenly visible, the smoke returning, a wild sense of freedom leaping in Karone's body in response. She wanted to sing out as well, to join the spell-

_No!_

She was caught now, torn between the beauty of Darkness and her natural, pure Light. Kat and Tommy joined their voices, the power growing and growing. It surged from them in blood and green energies, their first and strongest. The room hummed, vibrating with power and Power, and Karone found herself twisting, fighting herself and her restraints, whether to join the spell-song or escape it she didn't know.

Kat danced to her.

Karone stopped struggling, frightened, exhilarated, and Kat knelt on the bed next to her, gently placing a hand on her stomach. She wasn't moving her mouth anymore, Karone realized. The sounds she heard were the magic and Power, a sound inaudible to anyone but a sorcerer. She almost wondered what Kat heard before the other woman pulled her shirt away from her stomach.

Kat dipped her fingers in paint, and Karone winced as the cold liquid spread over her stomach in arcane patterns. She didn't know how to plead, how to fight, and she almost didn't want to, willing to do anything to join the wild, free dance. Tommy came up behind Kat, dipping his own fingers in a different paint and slowly tracing borders to Kat's work, whispering spell-words to keep her bound to him.

They both rested their palms over her energy center, saying the final word.

Karone bit back a scream.

The darkness within her was growing. Was bleeding out of her soul, seeking out the spell, and the two energies of the people she'd trusted\hated were reaching back. They thrummed through her body, changing every facet of her. She writhed now, but the two of them could easily hold her down, hold her until the energies touched her soul.

And then she was plunged into another place.

For a moment it was cold. Quiet. She had been dropped into a swimming pool and her body had yet to react to the water. Then, in the quiet, a thought floated.

_What am I afraid of?_

It was...Dark. Yes. But only Darkness, only...her soul opened, breathed it in, and it felt as if her very being were swimming up and out of the ultimate insult of Light into the truth of Dark.

The spell faded away.

She opened her eyes. Kat smirked, reaching up to untie her, and Tommy tensed. Karone didn't care. She was fine now.

"Thanks." Karone said calmly. Then she reached up to Tommy and kissed him.


	4. Ryan

A\N: At this point, I should mention that I have no freakin' clue what happened. (Also, when Ryan's calling Dana 'Day-ven'; there are suffixes for each type of relationship, and the one he used means 'sister in spirit'. Which, in the cultural context, is creepy.)

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><p>"Shh. Don't worry, Dana." Captain Mitchell said, cradling his daughter close to his chest. "It'll be okay."<p>

Dana continued to cry.

Ryan watched from a hidden alcove with a smirk. Diabolico had done well. After dispatching Queen Bansheera, there was nothing worth keeping the Lightspeed Rangers alive for, after all.

Well. Except for the rest of Lightspeed.

Ryan had been out for revenge originally. It was simple, had nothing to do with his Allegiance. But then he'd met Tommy Oliver. The older Ranger had...shown him the _joy_ of Darkness, the inherent beauty of causing pain in others. Painfully, maybe. But it had been worth it.

He never wanted the bloodlust to stop.

Tommy had offered a way for that to happen, a way for him to always sate his bloodlust. If Tommy ruled the world, who would stop him from torturing and murdering? Certainly not Tommy-he would provide an endless stream of victims, he had promised. So Ryan would help him rule the world.

And since Lightspeed was a threat to that, he had to stop Lightspeed. Ryan glanced at the prisoners, smirking. Once they were broken, he even had the perfect way to do that. Who would suspect the few survivors of Ryan's attack? The ones so _perfect_ their Light had driven back the demon-boy?

Who on Earth would realize they were completely broken to his will?

"This is the final step." Diabolico informed him. "But remember, if you don't keep them afraid..."

"I know." Ryan replied with a dark smile.

Diabolico hesitated. "Ryan. Think. This is your family. Are you really willing to do this?" He put a 'comforting' hand on the young man's shoulder.

Ryan shrugged it off.

"They're not my family. And pretending to be won't earn _you_ my trust, either." He fixed Diabolico with a glare. "Remember that."

Then he dropped down into the cave.

They didn't see him in the shadows. He changed his voice, speaking with a dark inflection that seemed inhuman. "Four little Rangers, all in a row..."

The four froze. His voice had announced every kill.

Pity they didn't know that this one was no exception.

"Well," Ryan corrected himself a bit more casually, "Two Rangers and their friends. Now let me see, who shall I take today..."

"Come out!" Carter shouted, the way he always had. "Come out, you coward!"

"Come out?" Ryan pretended to muse, smirking. "Well...if you insist." He stepped into the light.

Jaws dropped. Metaphorically, anyway. The expressions were just priceless, and Ryan had a hard time not cackling. It wouldn't do to laugh just yet. They needed to fear him as they would a god.

Hell, maybe Ryan was one. Or the opposite.

"Ryan?" Dana whispered. Her voice was so weak, so _broken_. Diabolico had been right, this was the last puzzle piece.

He pointed a finger. "Eeny, meeny, miney, moe..." It stopped at Mitchell and beckoned.

Carter and Dana both grabbed Mitchell as he rose. "Daddy!" Dana whispered, frightened enough to use the childish word. "Don't!"

Mitchell smiled sadly at his daughter. "For you."

Carter understood, pulling Dana's hands away and holding her as she shook with sobs. Mitchell walked up to Ryan, trying to be noble and strong. Ryan didn't particularly feel like letting him do that. Oh, well, it wouldn't be hard to solve that problem.

He flicked a wrist.

Spellcraft wasn't _that_ hard. Engulfing someone in flame while healing their skin was a bit trickier, but he managed it, and it only took a few minutes before the screaming started. Ryan laughed, letting himself indulge, and Dana screamed in horror.

The screams were _delicious_.

He stopped torturing Mitchell when the man fell to his knees. He gasped for air, coughing, and Ryan smiled as he patted him on the shoulder. "There, there." He crooned. "It'll all be over soon."

"Son..." Mitchell coughed, gasping for air. "Son, please. I love you."

Ryan punched him. The man fell to the ground, nearly unable to breath for the pain. Ryan kicked him in the stomach as well, cold fury taking over. "You didn't_ love_ me." He snarled. "You_ abandoned_ me."

"No. No, it wasn't like that, it..."

Ryan hauled the man up by what was left of his hair, pressing his blade to the man's throat. Dana screamed, and Ryan met her eyes.

A slow smirk grew over his face. "_Sister_..."

He pointed, then beckoned.

Carter stood instead, pushing Dana behind him. "No. Take me."

Ryan smirked. He'd planned that. "Fine. Come here." Carter obeyed, like a good little puppy, and Ryan held out the knife.

Carter took it.

Ryan knew he understood what he wanted, but just as surely he knew Carter wouldn't pass up a chance at a weapon. So all he had to do was push Mitchell in front of him, and the deed was done.

For a long, horrible moment, Mitchell stared at the man he had thought of as a second son with a blade buried in his side. Then the poison kicked in, and Mitchell screamed.

Carter yanked the knife out, dropping it and shaking. Ryan let Mitchell fall, crouching to pick up the fallen weapon. "Tsk tsk. Leaving a kill unfinished like that, very sloppy. Bad dog."

"N..no...Captain..."

Mitchell moaned, a sick sound, and Ryan extended the handle of the blade. "He's in pain, you know." Ryan pointed out casually. "The blade's poisoned. He'll die in horrible agony unless you stop it."

Dana was openly sobbing. Fairweather was numb, too shocked to do anything but stare. Ryan smirked inwardly. All it would take was a little more pushing, and they would crumble in his hands.

And then it would take nearly nothing to command all three of them.

Carter stared at the blade, and Ryan shrugged, stabbing Mitchell in the stomach again. He twisted the knife, and another scream echoed through the chamber.

"_Stop it_!"

The voice was Dana's. Not Carter's. Ryan turned his attention to her, a new idea coming to him. Well, if he couldn't get his way by torturing one of them...

He stalked up to his sister, leaving the blade where it was.

Fairweather tried to protect the girl, but Ryan threw her into a wall. She lay dazed, but still watching, and Ryan pulled Dana up by the hair, slapping her so hard she stumbled back. He caught her hair again, punching her in the stomach, making her retch, although she didn't have any food in her system to vomit up. He glanced at Carter, raising an eyebrow.

"Want to stop this?"

Carter stared.

Ryan shrugged, then went back to beating his sister, lashing out with blow after blow. Carter was too numb to stop it, until finally he threw her against a wall, and a crunch told him something had broken.

"All right!" Carter shouted. "All right, stop, please, I'll-" He froze again, unsure of what he'd said.

Ryan turned with a triumphant smirk on his face.

Carter stepped over to Mitchell's body, and Ryan crouched, healing his sister's skull before sliding an arm around her shoulder. "Now pay attention, Day-ven." He whispered. "This is a very important stage in your training."

"No..." She was just aware enough to realize what was happening, but her voice was too weak to reach Carter's ears. "No, Carter...!"

Carter knelt beside Mitchell.

The man was insane with pain, Ryan knew. He smiled, pitching his voice to sound like he was standing behind Carter. "Do it." He whispered. "It's a mercy. It'll spare him. Spare your friends from the same fate. Do it, Carter."

Carter drew the blade out of Mitchell's side, his eyes blank, numb.

"_Do it._" He ran a fingertip along Dana's collarbone. "Or your precious Pink is next."

Carter set the blade on Mitchell's throat and hesitated.

"Do it!"

The bark startled him, and Carter made the cut badly. He dropped the knife, shoving himself away. "No. No, I...I can't..."

"Can't? You already did." Ryan stood, sauntering up to Carter and clapping him on the back. "Look. It's _beautiful_, Carter, you severed an artery. He'll take _hours_ to bleed out. What a

_wonderful_ job." He shoved Carter to his knees, petting the man's hair. "Good dog."

"No..." Carter whispered.

It was too late. Dana was staring at the scene in horror, and Fairweather was broken completely.

Ryan strode out of the cell, smirking as he vanished into the mists. "Diabolico!" He shouted cheerfully. The demon appeared, bowing. "Let's send them to infiltrate Lightspeed." He tilted his head in a playful gesture. "Oooh, I bet I can even give them a few scars to remember me by!"

Diabolico bowed to the new King of the Demon.


	5. Eric

A\N: I very cleverly nearly forgot to post this. Heh. My bad.

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><p>"Who the <em>hell<em> are you?"

The man in the chair grinned and leaned forward. "Well, you could ask that, Eric." He held up his green dagger again, standing to play with it. "Or you could ask yourself, 'am I tired of living in an apartment with cockroaches?' "

"Who said anything about cockroaches?" Eric tried to bluff.

The man stabbed one that had been crawling across the table. A giant one. There were serious disadvantages to living near a nuclear power plant.

"Okay. So maybe I'm a little down on my luck. But why do you care again?" Eric asked suspiciously, trying to banish the image of Wes from his mind. Money was one thing, but people required background checks.

"I care because of this." The man set down photographs of a team of Power Rangers. "They're set up in Silver Hills, and I want information on them."

"You want me to spy on _Power Rangers_." Eric sneered. "You _must_ be joking."

The stranger turned and opened his briefcase. Eric had never seen so much money in his life.

"Okay. You're not joking."

"Nope." The stranger shut the briefcase. "You'll be richer than God. Just join the Silver Guardians."

"...And this helps how?"

The man gave him an odd look. "Actually," He admitted slowly, "I have no idea. But a friend of mine, she's a sorceress, she's convinced it will help, and I trust her. And she already told me that stacks of money would get your attention, so she's not that far off the mark."

Eric glanced at the suitcase. It was a lot of money... "And if I end up not being any help?"

"Half up front. The rest in increments. A hundred-dollar bonus for every useful tidbit you feed me."

Eric raised an eyebrow. The only people he could think of with that kind of money were drug dealers or counterfeiters. "Are the cops looking for this cash?"

"Not at all." The man reassured him. "Let me just say I have some...generous...friends."

Eric considered. Borderline legal, certainly straying into conspiracy...

What the hell.

"I'll take it."

The man smiled, scooping out half of the cash. "Good man." He shut the briefcase again, making the dagger disappear in a flash of green light. "Oh, and by the way," The man said at the doorway, "If you see me again, try to pretend you don't know me."

Eric shrugged. "Sure."

Then he turned back to the chance of a lifetime.


	6. Justin

A\N: Back in Zeo, Tommy and Kat took a shine to Justin. So they brainwashed him into being Tommy's Heir. And now he's coming of age...hehehe... (Also, if you want an alternate ending: Originally, I was going to have Justin eat TJ's flesh in ritualistic cannibalism. However, I also like not getting banned. :( )

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><p>Justin was sitting in the window seat when Tommy found him.<p>

Admittedly, he was cleaning his guns, but it was still sort of cute. Then again, Tommy reflected, Justin was his Heir. His son in spirit. Of course he would think the boy was cute.  
>Which might reflect on how terrifying his son was.<p>

Kat had already said her good-lucks and goodbyes. Tommy stepped into the boy's zone of awareness, smiling as Justin clicked his gun together. "No guns." He reminded him.

Justin's face fell.

"Only a dagger, I told you. It's a challenge. Shooting people holds a different kind of challenge, yes, but I'm not looking for Dexter here." Tommy took the gun away. "You're my Heir, Justin. You have to know how to kill without these."

"Yeah, yeah...heard it before." Justin grumbled.

Tommy smiled. "Soon. I promise." He set the gun aside, and Justin stood, heading for the entrance to the tunnels.

Buying this house had been a wonderful idea. The previous owners had been terrified of the house sinking into the cave network below it, but Tommy, Kat, and Karone hadn't just shored it up, they'd turned it into the perfect evil lair. And the cave network would be an ideal place for Justin's first hunt.

They went downstairs together.

To the Power Rangers kneeling bound and gagged in the lair proper, it must have been an odd sight, Tommy leading Justin down the stairs wearing odd alien clothes and holding a very terrifying dagger in his belt. To Tommy, it was the first step of a journey.

He stopped in front of the Rangers and put his hands on Justin's shoulders.

"You know, TJ, you were wrong about him. Completely." Tommy all but beamed with Dark pride. "I mean, sure, he was annoying when he was twelve, but if you'd bothered to pay any attention, you'd have seen what I did."

Justin grinned sadistically. It was probably a bit rude to be more focused on the killing ahead, but he couldn't help it, he was excited.

_"Evil_." Tommy whispered, the sound echoing across the cave in a hiss. "Pure, unadulterated evil. Sure, it took a bit to unlock, but now Justin is the greatest Heir I could have asked for."

He stepped back. "And now he's going to prove it." He snapped his fingers, releasing the Rangers from their bindings.

Justin dropped into a fighting stance.

The Rangers jumped up, frightened and wary, like animals left caged too long. Justin waited. TJ was the first to attack, naturally, and he flipped the man over, smirking as he landed.

"Come on." He muttered under his breath. "Show me what you got."

Carlos charged, shouting, "Run, guys!" The Rangers darted off into the tunnels, and Justin threw Carlos as well, smirking and drawing his blade.

Now the real fun began.

Justin crouched beside Carlos, stabbing him through the eye. Sure, it was a bit messy, but Tommy had already promised to clean up. He leapt up and away, sprinting into the tunnels. It was a world he loved, one he explored every chance he had, and the Rangers stood no chance here.

Ashley was first. She'd squeezed into an alcove, betting that the teen's stronger body wouldn't fit through the crack. He had a back entrance, though, and grabbed her arms, pinning her before she even realized another set of feet had entered.

She screamed before he slit her throat.

Cassie was next. He smashed her head through a stalactite as she pleaded with him to stop. TJ was the easiest, of course, though a touch messy since he left him dying with his guts spilled on the cave floor.

He emerged bloodied and triumphant.

The next step had to be completed in silence. Justin didn't return to the lair-he carefully carved a bone from TJ's leg, then went to a hidden cave. Slowly, surely, he created something, hiding it in his belt until he reached the lair.

Tommy was smiling.

He took a handful of powder, considering, then said in spell-language, "A boy stands here." A thought, and dark fire surrounded Justin, breathing life into him.

He shut his eyes.

In the flames was everything. Every secret of manhood. Every power he'd ever wished for. It was all here, and he reveled in it.

"A boy burns away." Tommy chanted.

The flames attacked Justin's skin. He flinched, but they didn't burn, instead digging into his soul, strengthening, guiding him.

He laughed, free and wild.

"From the ashes rises a man!" Tommy shouted, throwing the powder. The fire glowed blue, then vanished.

Justin slowly drew the knife he had carved from his belt. Cleaned, the bone shone a pure white.

Tommy put a hand on his shoulder.

They didn't need words for pride.


	7. Merrick

A\N: liron-aria and I felt Wild Force could have been...better done...

* * *

><p>Merrick loved the sea.<p>

Zen-Aku wasn't thrilled, especially since the other campers at Bald Mountain made rednecks look normal. He opted to sleep at a hidden place along a trail nearby, while Merrick made do with the, as Zen-Aku put it, 'giant lawn'.

He woke at midnight to pain.

He had a sixth sense about the Org, and running to his side was something he did by instinct. He had to leap over a highway to do it, admittedly, but he was a Power Ranger, he'd live. He scrambled up the mountain trail, cursing the Org's tendency to sleep far away from humans.

Then he came to a stop.

A man with short black spikes and an aura of Power had a green dagger to Zen-Aku's throat. A younger man-a boy? No, a teenager-was standing idly to one side, playing with a gun.

"Whatever you want," Merrick said slowly, "I'm sure we can figure this out. Peacefully."

"Probably." The man agreed. "Here's what I want. You two can continue your nice little vacation." His eyes narrowed. "But if I hear anything about you interfering with the United Alliance of Evil, I come back, find your Princess, and destroy everything you hold dear. Okay?"

"O...okay." Merrick stammered, horrified. What was this man?

The man smirked and dropped Zen-Aku, turning to walk away. The teen-his son, maybe-followed, and Merrick ran to Zen-Aku's side.

Fading, he could hear the boy ask, "Hey, Tom, why aren't we recruiting them?"

The man snorted. "Because, kid, they're retarded."

Merrick winced as their laughter faded into the California night.


	8. Andros

A\N: Holy crap, I'm actually updating in _daytime_? The world has ended. :p

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><p>"Karone? Can...can I talk to you?"<p>

Karone glanced up.

She'd been off-ship all night. She was tired. She was (pleasantly) sore. And she needed a brother being a shy worrywart like she needed a hole in the head. But she gestured to the kitchen anyway in a gracious motion of acceptance.

Andros walked in shyly, trying to hide his trembling. Karone noted that with a hint of a smile. One of her better plans, really. She might need it soon...

"Uh, Kar, where were you last night?" Andros asked, clearly trying to be firm and failing. He'd always had a soft spot for her.

"Elsewhere." Karone said calmly, sipping her coffee.

Andros took a deep breath. "Were you on the Amethyst?"

"Of course not!" Karone said, pretending shock at the mere name of her favorite ship. "Andros, I haven't seen the thing in years."

Silently, Andros held up a datacard.

Karone sighed. "I see." She took a sip of her coffee. "All right, I suppose you ought to know. I kept it around in case DECA was disabled and we had to get her to a planet. I had some maintenance to do last night."

"Maintenance involving ritual murder?" Andros asked dryly. His hands were shaking worse than ever. "Oh, and an orgy afterwards."

Karone sighed. "You make it sound so boring."

Andros' eyes went wide.

"Poor Andros. You hoped it wasn't true, didn't you." Karone said, honestly sympathetic. Andros was the only Ranger she didn't want to murder on a daily basis. "I'm sorry you had to find out."

"But...but Tommy..." Andros whispered. "I've been helping him rehabilitate the UAE members..." He sank against a counter, wincing as what was probably nausea kicked in.

"Yes, that was very helpful. Thank you." Karone agreed.

Andros looked at her with pure betrayal.

"You feel sick, don't you." Karone said, sympathetic again. "I've been putting a drug in your food. It's pretty good, actually, if you only take it once or twice. But you've been on it for months, and, well...I don't think there's any safe way to stop the addiction."

Andros gaped in horror.

"Tell you what." Karone offered, setting down her coffee. "I'll give you the shot you need now. Then you decide if you want to run or not."

Andros continued gaping.

"I'm evil, Andros, not heartless." Karone pointed out. "You are my brother." She paused. "Anyway, I must've let you go too long without eating, you're getting withdrawal symptoms."

Andros stared at his shaking hands, then, slowly, nodded. Karone put a friendly hand over her brother's shoulder, guiding him to her quarters, where she pulled out a hypoderm.

The drug kicked in quickly. Karone knew it did, she'd been immunized to it as a child. It really was a useful one, too, the UAE used it to control its more...reluctant...helpers. In a

Kerovian like Andros, with enough psychic power to not need drugs to begin with, even a low dose was enough to send him spinning into heaven.

When he woke up, he looked ready to beg for more.

"Nothing's going to go wrong, Andros." Karone soothed, brushing his hair out of his eyes. "You'll just keep doing what you've been doing. Nothing wrong with that. You're still the good guy." She held up the now- empty hypoderm. "And when you're good, you can have a bit of heaven."

Andros whimpered.

Karone hugged him. He took the hypoderm, then realized it was empty and pouted at her.

"Just one more mission." She whispered. "Save someone, Andros. Be the hero. And then you can dream for a long, long time."

Very slowly, Andros nodded.

Karone smiled.


	9. Blake and Hunter

A\N: Only one more chapter until the end...:(

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><p>Tommy arrived just as Blake was finishing a class.<p>

Blake grinned and barely remembered to bow before clapping an arm over Tommy's shoulders. "Tommy!"

"Hey, Blake, where's Hunter?" Tommy asked, grinning. He always liked spending time with his ninjas, they were so happy.

"Talking to McKnight. He's got potential, but he makes Lothor look smart."

Tommy snorted. "Fun."

"I think Tori's pregnant."

Tommy raised an eyebrow.

Blake looked a bit sheepish, and Tommy snorted. "Blake, there's this thing called a 'condom'."

"Uh...oops?"

Tommy shook his head in amusement. "I told you, she's yours. Have fun. But try not to let her around the kid too much, we don't need your kid trying to kill you." He smirked. "Also, I've already decided what your next ten birthday presents are."

Blake laughed, partly from relief and partly from the joke. Tommy could see Hunter in the distance and waved. The other man waved back, turning to talk to a student before saying something that sent him running. Hunter shook his head, then jogged up to them, grinning at Tommy. "Hey, dude!"

Tommy rolled his eyes. "Don't call me 'dude', Hunter, you know that annoys me. All right, how's it going?"

He'd say this for the boys, they knew how to make a report. "We've got over two hundred enrolled students, only fifty need the brainwashing machines you gave us, and they're all pretty solidly along the graduation rate you gave us. Oh, and I killed Cam yesterday." At the odd look from Tommy, Hunter clarified. "He was annoying me."

"Riiight." Tommy drawled, shaking his head in amusement. Recruiting these two from Lothor had been a brilliant decision. They'd needed a mentor figure, and he'd been there.

It certainly hadn't hurt that he'd let them have their revenge on both the guinea pig and the Rangers. Though from the sound of things, 'revenge' might not be the right word for Blake and Tori...Tommy snorted inwardly. Well, depended on Tori, really, but who could account for taste.

"Are we going to do it soon?" Hunter asked, eagerness tinging his words. Why wouldn't there be? The boys took to evil like ducks to water.

"Soon." Tommy promised. "But that's still a few years off. I've got some work to do on a new villain to draw out the Dino Gems. Mesegog, I think I'll call him..."

Hunter sighed overdramatically. "You never let us have any fun."

Tommy chuckled. "I'll let you play with Justin later." That perked Hunter up quickly-the two usually came back bloody, but as long as there was no permanent damage, Tommy was more than content to ignore them and watch football with Blake.

He gazed out at the nearby ocean. Yes, this had been the easiest conversion of all.

His only worry now was the Dino Gems.


	10. Epilogue

A\N: And after very cleverly forgetting to post this chapter, we come to an end. Thanks for all the reviews! :)

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><p>Victory was theirs.<p>

Tommy lay with Kat and Karone, blissful after their 'victory party'. The planet was theirs; the galaxy would soon fall.

All in all, it had been a wonderful week.

Something smacked Tommy upside the head. He blinked down at Kat. "The hell?" He snorted.

"We're ahead of schedule. Great. We're ahead of schedule because of a _stupid teenager._" Kat opened one eye, smirking. "You're an idiot."

Tommy snorted. "Ouch. My feelings."

"Yeah, it was kind of lame." Karone chimed in, her breath warm against his side. "I mean, _you laughed so hard you broke your morph_. What's next, a tickle monster?"

"Yeah, yeah..." Tommy smirked. "I know how to shut you guys up..."

Karone raised an eyebrow.

Tommy swooped in for a kiss.


End file.
